A former Salford Red Devils player is planning to start a phoenix club from the ashes of the fallen rugby league team.
Retired winger Mason Caton-Brown, who played for the Red Devils between 2014 and 2016, is leading the consortium currently being linked with resurrecting the Salford side.
The Greater Manchester sporting institution sadly folded following liquidation on 3 December after a prolonged period of uncertainty and crippling debts.
Despite investors promising funds and multiple adjournments to their winding-up ceremony, time simply ran out and now Caton-Brown and co. are, hopefully, looking to pick up the pieces.
Heading up the move to bring back the beloved outfit, the former chairman of the ‘Forever Reds Supporters Trust’ (FRST), Malcolm Crompton, local entrepreneurs Paul Hancock and Ashley Washington are also assisting with the proposal.
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Simply known as ‘The Phoenix Bid’, they are said to have potentially secured a six-figure sum and have already reached some provisional pre-contract agreements with a new coach and several players ahead of the formal offer being taken into consideration.
Publishing a lengthy mission statement on social media earlier this week, the ex-pro wrote: “I moved to Salford from London over 10 years ago, and the club and city welcomed me with open arms.
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“It made me who I am today. The Salford City community is like no other, and the club is a big part of that, so when I saw it was at risk of going under, I truly felt the need to be a part of a solution and give back to the club, city and the community.
“But I’m not on my own, I’m part of a team of people that are passionate about what this club means and truly focused on making sure a true Salford RLFC stays alive and is something the fans and the city can call their own.”
Chatting with BBC Sport Manchester in a recent interview, the 32-year-old Enfield-born athlete turned businessman – who also represented the London Broncos and Wakefield Trinity – claims that conversations with investors and stakeholders are progressing nicely.
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🗣️ "We are looking to bring this club back to life"
Former Salford winger Mason Caton-Brown has outlined his plans for a new phoenix club.
Salford fans, make sure to listen back to last night's Total Sport.
Signing off the post with a strong assurance, he said: “If our bid is successful, I promise we will do everything we can to protect the club and build a future Salford can be proud of.”
As for the fans, a spokesperson for the aforementioned supporters’ trust dubbed the prospective personnel spearheading the revival as a “powerful and credible team”, with Caton-Brown promising to reveal all the exciting details if the bid gets green-lit.
Speaking in an official press release shared with The Manc, the one-time Jamaican international and adopted Salfordian added: “This isn’t just about rebuilding a club, it’s about rebuilding belief.
“Salford means everything to me as a club and is part of my story. We want to create something the city can be proud of again; a club that stands for honesty, sustainability, and genuine community connection.”
“We’re inviting the people of Salford to stand with us. Together we can rise again, not just to bring rugby league back to this city, but to make sure it thrives for generations to come.”
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Do you think The Phoenix Bid will be successful and, more importantly, do you think this group are the right people to bring the club back and get them moving onwards and upwards again?
Featured Images — Publicity picture (supplied via Rumpus PR)
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Former Chelsea midfielder reportedly linked with late move to Manchester United
Danny Jones
Manchester United are rumoured to have been linked with former Chelsea midfielder and England international, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
With not long left of the January transfer window, however, a decision would need to be made soon if the deal stands a chance of being completed.
Loftus-Cheek, who came through the Chelsea youth system before being loaned to Crystal Palace and Fulham, now plays for Italian giants AC Milan.
Having spent a couple of years in Serie A now, he had a very solid debut campaign – scoring 10 times and registering a couple of assists in four appearances whilst helping dictate from deep – but it now looks like his time at the club could be ending, with Man United floated as a potential next destination.
🚨 | Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
United are considering signing a midfielder on loan to bolster their hopes of Champions League qualification.
That’s according to sports journalist Alex Crook, anyway, who claims that the Red Devils have been given the chance to sign the 29-year-old before the end of the month.
As per the update via talkSPORT, the chief football correspondent claims that United are debating bringing in another option in the middle of the park on loan, at the very least, as they chase down a return to Europe next season, and Loftus-Cheek is one of the names that has been linked with a move.
He explains that “talks are only exploratory at this stage, but Loftus-Cheek is keen to return to the Premier League”; the Lewisham-born central midfielder has struggled to gain regular minutes and have the same impact so far this term.
It remains to be seen just how much interest there is on Man United‘s end, but if the reports are to be believed, the opportunity looks to be there.
Crook goes on to add that INEOS are also thought to be exploring a deal for ex-Leicester City and previous MUFC transfer target, Wilfred Ndidi.
Having left the Premier League back last year after the best of seven years with the Foxes, Ndidi is currently captain not only at Beşiktaş, as well as his national team, Nigeria, who just reached the AFCON semi-finals.
It is believed that he wants a return to English football for both career prospects and ‘family reasons’.
Now 29 and nearly a whole decade on from first being linked with him during his time at Genk, many supporters have reacted by stating that he should have been recreated years ago, and that potentially turning to older shortlisted names on a temporary contract isn’t the right direction for the club.
Do you see either of these players being brought in and/or working out at Old Trafford, Reds?
Manchester United youth captain Rhys Bennett delivers moving mental health message
Danny Jones
Manchester United academy player and youth team captain Rhys Bennett is being applauded for giving an inspirational interview following the death of his father, sharing a moving and important message about mental health awareness.
Just a disclaimer, while the sit-down with Sky Sports News is deeply touching, it does touch on some triggering subjects, such as suicide.
If you missed the tragic news last year, Rhys’ dad, David, sadly took his own life back in October after battling with depression, with his 22-year-old son speaking to the media back this past December and urging people to “just reach out“.
Since then, further clips from the candid and tearjerking chat haves surfaced online once again, and some are seeing them for the first time, with Bennett once again being met with praise for tackling the subject with bravery and sensitivity.
The Denton-born defender didn’t hesitate in insisting that he wouldn’t be where he is without his parents and David, in particular, but said that opening up and talking to people, as well as getting back into regular routines like eating and sleeping right helped him recover through the grieving process.
He went on to add that he believes “people don’t realise just how appreciated they are” and that the simple act of asking if someone is ok or how they are doing can make a huge difference.
Dubbing it a “permanent solution to a temporary problem”, he also urged those to remember to check in people they love regularly, i.e. not just wait for when they think something might be wrong.
Like anything, being pro-active and preventitive measures are just important in the ongoing mental health crisis that effects millions across the UK alone, with men, specifically, dying from suicide are a higher rate than females.
Bennett, of course, is not the only sports personality to have raised issues around wellbeing of late; not even locally, either, as Stopfordian Nathan Aspinall also called on the Professional Darts Players Association to offer better mental health service – citing “at least two of three people” who need help.
The Denton-born defender has been labelled as “wise beyond his years” and it being apparent why he has been chosen to lead the likes of under 18s and U21s.
Bennett finished up last season at Fleetwood Town after spending his previous loan spell at local side Stockport County, but has since returned to the academy setup back at Carrington.
You can see his full interview with Sky Sports HERE, and to echo the same sentiment we can’t stress enough how much a problem shared is a problem halved.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, you can call the NHS via 111, speak to your GP, use helplines such as the Samaritans on 116 123, as well as find other services via Manchester City Council.
You can contact other charities like Manchester Mind and Andy’s Man Club, or get in touch with Greater Manchester Talking Therapies online. As always, in case of emergencies, please dial 999 immediately.
There is so much help for you out there. For instance, if you need some want an outlet to free up some headspace whilst meeting new like-minded people and getting some fresh air, there’s plenty of groups all over Greater Manchester.
You'd be surprised how much good a walk and having a chat with a friend can do. 🥾❤️
Danny Jones -
12th December 2025 
